Talk:The Saint (TV series)

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Untitled[edit]

Please consider joining the project! HowardBerry 19:21, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Filming locations[edit]

I have added a part on filming locations (that I shall expand upon when I have time), as the Saint is quite well known for being one of the first TV series to give a really good impression that characters were going to lots of different locations, but in reality it was all set in a studio. I always thought it was quite impressive that the whole series was actually filmed at Elstree Studios, with hardly any on-location filming, yet you would not believe it when you see the series. Very few people believe this when you tell them, but Roger Moore admits this little know fact among fans in the documentary "The Saint Steps In....To Colour" on disk 7 of the UK Colour series DVD release, where he confirms that the saint is seen to be going to lots of exotic and glamourous locations, but in reality he almost never filmed anything outside of the Elstree Studio site, and just used lots of backdrops and blue-screen technology. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jrhilton (talkcontribs) 10:32, 6 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

  • With sources, etc. I think it's a good addition, especially in contrast to shows like I Spy, made around the same time yet did film in worldwide locations. I know Danger Man was another show that successfully managed to pretend to film worldwide, yet never left the studio except for rare visits to places like Portmeirion. 23skidoo (talk) 13:44, 7 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Financial info[edit]

According to the Robert S Baker Obituary written by the Guardian Newspaper (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/oct/02/robert-s-baker-obituary) the 1960s show made over £350m in profit, so I have added this info to the article, and put in a reference to this source. It also says each episode had a budget of £30,000, which in the 1960s was a huge sum of money, which I will add at a later date when I have more time.Jrhilton (talkcontribs) 10:38, 28 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

DVD section should be removed.[edit]

The section on the DVD releases should be removed, for many reasons I believe:

  • The regions problem. They are realesed diffrently everywhere. Listing them all would take many pages.
  • Evry few years new releases come out so the information get's outdated or takes on enormous proportions.
  • It's not really relavent for the article, old VHS releases are also omitted and DVD whil also belong to the past in a couple of years.

TO BE CLEAR: The lists should be removed, a little sections about DVD releases is a good addition to the article, I think. User:Allard Saturday 2 June 2007 23:12 CET

  • You seem to contradict yourself a little bit here, though. You say "a little section" is OK, but not a list. So what information should be kept? And have you also posted this same comment on the dozens and dozens of other TV show articles with similar info? You make a few good points, but your final statement rather than being clear has instead made things a bit less clear. 23skidoo 02:55, 3 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Please keep to the discussion (I'm not here to discuss discussing!). Some DVD information is fine, but be consistent. No endless lists of information about one region release and omitting all others. And a good reason not to have the boxes: within a few years there will be new DVD release with other extra's. So my suggestion is make small texts and not gaudy boxes. The DVD's are not essential to the shows history and current release will soon be part of the past just as VHS releases are now, wich are (wrightly) not mentioned or at least not listed out. User:Allard Thursday 30 August 2007 16:18 CET —Preceding unsigned comment added by Allard (talkcontribs) 14:18, August 30, 2007 (UTC)


Fair use rationale for Image:SaintGetaway.jpg[edit]

Image:SaintGetaway.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 22:42, 5 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Saint[edit]

This -

"The character is nicknamed The Saint plausibly because the initial letters of his name ST are also the abbreviation for the word "saint"", is incorrect. It really needs to be revised. scope_creep 11:59, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

The nickname is because of his initials but also because Templar is invariably on the side of right, or good. He may break rules, and go against the law or governments, but he is never on the side of evil. Hence the 'Saint' name. ... and he turns up just when people need him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.7.147.13 (talk) 19:39, 15 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

A military radar aircraft has the symbol of The Saint tv version (not book symbol). Add if notable, perhaps to a Legacy section. TGCP (talk) 00:50, 25 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

confused about the seasons/series[edit]

the network dvd set (region 2 pal) 'the complete monochrome series' packaging states that the set's 18 discs (71 b&w episodes) contain the complete series 1 & 2. every online source i find says the 71 b&w episodes make up seasons 1 thru 4 but the dvd packaging suggests only 2 season were filmed in b&w. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.34.145.82 (talk) 04:14, 14 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I'm having trouble squaring "As a result of the strong performance in the US of the first two black-and-white series in first-run syndication, NBC picked up the show as a summer replacement in its evening schedule in 1966" with "The black-and-white series were first syndicated in the US by NBC affiliate stations in 1967 and 1968, and 32 of the 47 colour episodes were broadcast by NBC from 1968 to 1969."


You're having trouble because both statements are wrong. In the first statement, "first two black-and-white series" refers to what Wiki calls two productions runs...in other words, what Wiki calls the first four series of 12, 27, 23, and 9 episodes are actually two series of 39 and 32 episodes. The first statement also says "a summer replacement...in 1966." It was actually a summer replacement during the 1966-67 season, which means it was aired in 1967, specifically beginning May 21, 1967.

The second statement is wrong in every respect. By definition, when a network like NBC picks up a series, that series is not being syndicated by that network. In 1967, the color episodes were aired as a network program by NBC. NBC affiliate stations, as well as other stations, may well have still been airing the black and white syndication package that dated back to 1963 and was so successful it prompted the switch to color, but NBC never aired black and white episodes. NBC aired color episodes May to September 1967, February to September 1968, and April to September 1969. 108.49.32.70 (talk) 01:41, 23 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Alias[edit]

The Saint's full alias was: Sebastian Henry Ivor Toombs. Take just the first letters. I could not help but wonder if like Arthur Conan Doyle, Charteris also got fed up with his hero.(88.22.225.93 (talk) 12:05, 26 July 2012 (UTC))[reply]

Cambrioleur[edit]

I suggest that the line "The fictional detective-cambrioleur" should be replaced with "The fictional detective-thief". "Cambrioleur" is a fantastically uncommon word that serves only to obfuscate the meaning of the sentence (and show off some editor's vocabulary). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.147.103.98 (talk) 03:58, 20 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]

About Baker[edit]

Robert S Baker said in a late interview that he was given "a fancy title" when the film "The saint" with Val was being made. That had to do with he was owner of film rights to the character. "I didn't produce anything". So the information in this piece is a bit wrong.The interview can be read here: http://roger-moore.com/old/Roger/interviews/bod-baker-interview.htm Wolfulf (talk) 10:00, 10 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Relationship to Charteris stories[edit]

> "Queen's Ransom" was both the first colour episode and the first episode not to be based on a Charteris work

This seems extremely dubious to me; if true, what Charteris stories were the following b/w episodes based on? Paul Magnussen (talk) 22:08, 17 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

  • Sophia
  • The Imprudent Politician
  • The Hi-Jackers
  • The Contract
  • The Set-Up
  • The Crime of the Century
  • The Chequered Flag
  • The Abductors
  • The Persistent Parasite


  • Sophia ---1948 short story Lucia
  • The Imprudent Politician---1933 short story The Appalling Politician
  • The Hi-Jackers--1937 novella The Unlicensed Victullars
  • The Contract--1931 novella The Impossible Crime
  • The Set-Up--1933 novella The Man from St Louis
  • The Crime of the Century--- 1931 novella The National Debt
  • The Chequered Flag----1934 short story The Newdick Helecopter
  • The Abductors---1933 novella The Gold Standard
  • The Persistent Parasite --1957 short story The Reluctant Nudist


Checked my book, I'll look at the rest shortly REVUpminster (talk) 07:54, 18 December 2013 (UTC) Done the rest REVUpminster (talk) 07:58, 18 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Radio Series[edit]

Don't know if its worth adding as trivia or not, but The Saint was a radio series, starring Vincent Price, long before it was a TV series 205.157.110.11 (talk) 20:41, 12 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure it's relevant to this article. Radio adaptations are already covered at Simon Templar#The Saint on radio and The Saint (radio program). --VeryCrocker (talk) 20:49, 12 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Running time[edit]

Someone recently changed this from 48 to 60 mins. I changed it back, but was beaten by seconds by another editor. In those days it was common to have 4x3 minutes of adverts in an hour of a drama shown on ITV in the UK, and so episodes were edited to last 48 mins. Imported dramas shown by the BBC were commonly scheduled in the Radio Times to last 50 mins and no doubt they were actually edited to 48 mins.

Perhaps this still applies. These days I rarely watch live television – there are so many alternative platforms available! LynwoodF (talk) 09:19, 31 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

syndication[edit]

article says: "The black-and-white series were first syndicated in the US by NBC affiliate stations in 1967 and 1968"

Wrong. Stations, both independent and network affiliated (all three), US and Canada, aired The Saint as early as September, 1963. Source: newspaper TV listings. 71.184.87.187 (talk) 02:49, 20 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]